Berlin Philharmonic

Berliner Philharmonie concert hall at night
Berliner Philharmonie concert hall at night

Berliner Philharmonie is a highly acclaimed contemporary designed concert hall that is home to the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - one of the top-rated orchestras in the world.

The concert hall, designed by architect Hans Scharoun, first opened in 1963. It is renowned for its excellent acoustics and for having a good view of the stage from any seat in the house.

Unlike most concert halls, the orchestra in the Berlin Philharmonic performs from the center of the audience. The ceilings emulate the sloped sides of a tent and the 2440 seats are arranged in terraces around the central stage.

If you sit at the back of the orchestra you can see the conductor face on, just like the performers.

If you love classical music, you'll definitely want to try to take in a concert at the Berlin Philharmonic during your visit.

At 1 pm every Tuesday from September through June they even hold free lunchtime concerts, not in the main hall but in the foyer. These offer a wonderful opportunity to see the venue and enjoy some fabulous music for free.

Berliner Philharmonie is part of the Kulturforum located just west of Potsdamer Platz.

Facts For Your Visit

Fee: Fees vary by event. Visit the official website for an event calendar. Tuesdays from September through June they hold free lunchtime concerts

Berlin Philharmonic Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays

  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours

Address: Herbert-von-Karajan-Straße 1, 10785 Berlin, Germany

Phone: 030 254880

Official Website: Berlin Philharmonic

Berlin Philharmonic Reviews

Rated 4.8 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating Six stars, if I could!! The hall is spectacular inside, if a little odd outside, but only in the daylight. The interior is a miracle of competing angles all coming together to achieve a harmony of visual and auditory integration. We sat all the way at the rear of the hall in section C and were afraid the sound would be buried. Far from it, Lisa Batiashvili’s Guarneri violin 🎻 was clear and sweet, punctuating a resounding performance by the Berlin Philharmonic. My only criticism of the hall concerns the toilet facilities. I was shocked to go to the only men’s room serving presumably about a fifth of the hall’s visitors..and discover there were only two urinals, and a one of about thirty people waiting at intermission. Come prepared!
Reginald Williams - in the last week

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5 Star Rating Joined a public tour of the Berlin Philharmonic building. Fantastic! The tour was relaxed and informal. We got lots of really good information and we got to see both halls from the inside: the large concert hall and the smaller one. Fascinating! Interesting aspect that the whole building has a very democratic aspect. From last minute reduced tickets to access for all. At the end of the €10 tour we received free codes for the online digital concert series.
Coco Tollgaard - 2 months ago

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5 Star Rating Lucky to see the Alphaville 40th Anniversary - the Symphonic Tour here in June 2023. It's a incredible building, and the auditorium is no standard shape. The acoustics were phenomenal, and we really enjoyed the evening's entertainment.
Christine Morrison - 4 months ago

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5 Star Rating Beautifully acoustically perfect venue with virtually no bad seat possible for listening to a whole raft of music genres. If you are into music and live in Berlin, this is a must visit. Cheaper seats at the top are still fantastic for sound, so you don't need to spend a lot for the front row. There are cloakrooms on more than one level, so don't panic and queue up on the ground floor. There are less queues the higher you go. Book in advance and try late availability as it's hardly ever completely full. One other tip would be to really look at your tickets and take note of where you will be sitting as I have been twice now and on both occasions we saw people being moved as they were sitting in the wrong seat. These were not tourists, but Germans, but even so, for us non Germans please note that in Germany they split auditoriums like this into rechts(right} or links(left) and label seats identically in both. In other words, there are 2 seats with the same seat number on them. There is a map just by main entrance on the left as you go into the building, and this has proven very helpful. Arrive 30 mins before the performance and enjoy.
Christakis Psyllides - 4 months ago

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Directions

How to get to Berlin Philharmonic by U-Bahn, S-Bahn

Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn Line(s): U2, S1, S2, S25, S26
Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn Station(s): U Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Potsdamer Platz Bahnhof

From Potsdamer Platz, walk west along Potsdamer StraBe. After it curves to the left look for the entry to Berliner Philhamonie on your right.

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